Hi Mindmechanic, I really like this topic. You have put a lot of thought into it, as have other members. In my opinion, no therapist should google their clients unless it is a matter of safety. The therapeutic relationship is inherently unsafe as it provides a power imbalance with zero accountability to a therapist. Perhaps some therapist can handle the impact that googling a client could have, but it certainly could create issues in the therapeutic alliance if those searches lead to any sort of counter-transference reaction. Considering how terrible and unethical the industry is when it comes to counter-transference, I would deem googling a client unethical and potentially dangerous. Thanks, HD7970ghz